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Speech and Language Development: Red Flags

Topic Overview

A child's failure to reach speech and language milestones as expected
may be a "red flag," or warning, meaning a speech and language development
problem. If your child does not reach developmental milestones on schedule, it
does not necessarily mean there is a problem. But he or she should be
evaluated by a health professional.

Language delays include problems understanding what is heard or
read (receptive language delays) or problems putting words together to form
meaning (expressive language delays). Some children have both speech and
language delays.

Also, talk to your health professional anytime you or another
caregiver has concerns about your child's speech and language development or
other problem that affects your child's speech or understanding of language,
such as:

Excessive drooling.

Problems
sucking, chewing, or swallowing.

Problems with control and
coordination of lips, tongue, and jaw.

Stuttering that
causes a child embarrassment, frustration, or difficulty with
peers.

Poor memory skills by the time your child reaches
kindergarten age (5 to 6 years). He or she may have difficulty learning colors,
numbers, shapes, or the alphabet.

Other red flags include:

Failure to respond normally, such as not
responding when spoken to. This may include signs that the child does not hear
well, such as not reacting to loud noises.

A sudden loss of speech
and language skills. Loss of abilities at any age should be addressed
immediately.

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